Echoes
by Imperator Justinian
Summary: Every action has a reaction; every cause an effect. That is something Motonari learns as he is thrust onto the stage, setting out to leave his mark on Ransei.
1. The First Steps

_177 A.C (After Collapse) - Greenleaf_

Greenleaf was a quiet little kingdom in a quiet little corner of Ransei. Of the seventeen kingdoms that made up the region, it was the domain of countless Grass Types and the flora they so loved to call home, and the dense forest that housed them - protected them - always seemed so foreboding to the young Motonari. They were like a cordon, shielding Greenleaf from the outside world, but they were also an abyss; something that would suck you in and devour you whole. Or so his mother said. His place was underneath the shade of Greenleaf's castle, within its tired halls that his family had walked for generations in the service of their lords.

He was only six when Harukata proposed they go venture out into the woods, on a particularly warm day when playing in the castle's courtyard proved to be difficult under the sun's intense glare. Harukata was only two years his senior, from another long line of retainers to the Lords of Greenleaf, but the difference was great enough that the young Motonari looked up to him like a hero, wizened with years of experiences and troubles that escaped his grasp. Everything seemed so big to the boy as they set out, slinking away from the watchful eyes of their parents and the castle guard, running through the uneven streets without a care in the world until they hit the edge of town. And then the buildings faded away as the famed forests of Greenleaf spread out before them, the massive, ancient protectors of the kingdom towering above him, casting their long shadows over the two boys. Motonari flinched underneath their gaze, taking an instinctive step back as his eyes ran upwards, while Harukata just looked over at him and grinned.

"Scared?" it was obvious to Motonari that the boy in white was amused, but his tone lacked any considerable condescendence. Harukata was blunt, rarely thinking before he said what was on his mind, something that Motonari would witness the adults chastise him to no end for, but he was not one to judge. The younger boy could only nodded meekly, taking a glance down at his shoes.

"Mother said that I shouldn't go into the woods," Motonari muttered weakly, trying to not look or sound scared as he ran a hand through the back of his grassy hair.

"Me and Yoshitaka play in there all the time and nothing bad's ever happened," Harukata said confidently, as if that would settle the matter. Motonari blinked, looking back up at his revelation, feeling both a small amount of relief wash over him and a bit of envy stirring itself in his gut. Yoshitaka was the third member of their small group; three years his senior and the prince of Greenleaf, he preferred to run around the courtyard with them than having to attend meetings with his father. And since the three would usually do everything together, the young Motonari could not help but feel a little jealous over them having gone ahead without him. But then his mother's words rang in his head once more, and he felt both make way for a familiar sense of hesitation.

"Well..." the boy muttered, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to think of who to listen to.

"It'll be fine," Harukata said with a reassuring smile, holding out his arms, the sleeves of his coat falling over his hands. "What's the worst that can happen?"

That actually did little to reassure Motonari, but the older boy got fed up with waiting and grabbed his wrist. He was taken aback at the action, but Harukata paid no heed, and began pulling him in the direction of the woods. "C'mon, I'll show you there's nothing to worry about. The forest's the best place to play hide-and-seek!"

Motonari picked up his pace to avoid stumbling as his friend eagerly led him into the woods, the two stepping into the shadows of the twisted branches. He was taken aback by everything first; the canopy of leaves only letting a few streams of sunlight slip through their grasp, the sounds of their shoes crushing scattered twigs and pebbles coming off like the stomps of some approaching monster, and the chatter of hidden Pokémon nearby, whispering conspiratorially about the two children treading across the faded dirt path. Eventually, though, as they continued to walk deeper into the woods, his fears began to subside.

The grassy-haired boy cast a glance over his shoulder as they made their way into a clearing, feeling a bit silly when he caught a glimpse of the opening they came through, and looked back when Harukata spun around, his eyes darting off to the trees to his right for a moment before he spoke. "Okay; I'll go hide, and you count to ten!"

Harukata sped off as eagerly as he had given his instructions, Motonari only catching a glimpse of white as he ran off before turning around and squeezing his eyes shut. "Ten... Nine... Eight..."

"And no peeking!" the older boy's voice faded away under the younger's counting, and the last thing Motonari heard before reaching one and opening his eyes was the distant rustling of a few leaves and the crunch of tree bark. He looked around the clearing first; trying to decide in which direction he should go first. Relying on the memory of what he had heard, Motonari headed to the left, wandering through a few short trees and hopping over a thorny bush that laid in his path, keeping his eyes open for any signs of his friend. He paid no heed to the small slope that was in his path as well, dipping down into some abyss, too busy trying to find any signs of Harukata to look where he was going.

"Motonari, stop!" the warning came too late. Motonari looked up when he heard the voice, catching sight of Harukata perched on a particularly thick branch of one of the trees closer to the clearing before he placed his foot forward. Only to find that there was no ground underneath it.

The young boy let out a startled yelp as he stumbled forward, throwing his arms out desperately to try to rebalance himself, only to succeed in further tilting himself forward and falling into the hole. He screamed out as he fell, darkness enveloping him for a moment before he crashed into the ground. His first reaction was to immediately bring up his knee to his chest, clutching his ankle - as that had broken his fall - as he tried desperately to fight back the tears forming in his eyes. And then he looked up when Harukata's voice echoed down to him, catching his silhouette as he leaned over the only source of light in the pit he found himself in.

"Motonari!" he shouted, and his voice already sounded strained. "Are you okay!?"

"I-I'm fine..." he sniveled out, pulling his leg closer to his chest and burying his face in his kneecap. It brought a bit of relief to the pain in his leg and hid his tears, something he did not want to show.

"I'll be back; I'm going to go get help!" and with that, Harukata was off, leaving him alone.

The only thing left to keep him company was his snivels - and the point where they blurred into sobs was as iffy as how much time passed before his breath finally caught in his throat and he had to compose himself - but eventually he lifted his head and looked back up at the light above in desperation, so close yet still out of his reach, hoping that there would be someone there.

When he was only met with the glow of sunlight slowly trickling down below, Motonari lowered his head and began looking around at his surroundings to keep himself from breaking out into tears again. The floor and walls were damp but not particularly muddy, and there was an old, battered bucket laying only a few feet away from him. He looked back up again, this time also noticing a few stones near the opening and coming to the conclusion that this was some half-finished well left to rot, and was met with the same disappointing result as before.

The boy's thoughts gradually drifted to what would happen. What if Harukata had gotten lost himself, maybe even getting attacked by one of the Pokémon his mother warned him about? Or what if nobody believed him? Would he have to spend the rest of his life in this well, as forgotten as it? Motonari desperately tried to fight back his tears at the last thought, pushing himself up against the wall and burying his face in his knees, listening for any signs of someone nearby. And after waiting for what felt like an eternity, each passing second feeling like a lifetime in of itself, the crunch of leaves from above drew his attention back upwards with a renewed vigor. He took a deep breath.

"Help!" Motonari's shout echoed upward, and he was soon answered by another silhouette peering down the well only a few seconds later. His lips curled into a small smile, and the black shadow above was like a ray of hope to him. "Uh, hello there!"

It moved slightly, giving him a much better view of its unnaturally short size and elongated body, and then gave a high-pitched reply that instantly deflated his hopes. He lowered his head again, wrapping his arms around his knees; he decided he would be trapped here forever with a heavy sigh. "You're just a Pokémon..."

The Snivy above had apparently decided something similar, as it turned to walk away. Motonari felt something jump inside him when the Pokémon turned around, walking away from the well and taking with it his glimmer of hope, leaving him alone in the dark pit with nothing to do but slowly go mad counting the seconds again. He reached up, straining as he tried to grasp in its direction, voice hoarse from his earlier plea. "W-Wait! Come back! Please!"

The Grass Type stopped its trek and turned back towards the pit, pursed its lips, and then turned up to one of the trees above, eyeing the apples dangling from its branches. A lone leaf, thrown upwards with no small amount of grace, quickly severed one of the fruits from its perch, Snivy catching it before it could hit the grass. The Pokémon then trudged back to the well, dropping the apple. An echoed thud followed seconds later.

"Ow..." Motonari cried out as he ran a hand over the bruise forming on the top of his head, picking up the apple that fell on his stomach before looking back up. "Thanks..."

Snivy turned back around again, much to Motonari's consternation, telling itself it had done enough, but stopped with a heavy sigh. The Grass Snake Pokémon turned back again, walking up to the edge of the well and gazing deep into the earth, looking at the six year old boy stuck inside for a second before extending its vines. Motonari reached up eagerly as the Pokémon lowered its vines down into the well, wincing as he stood to try to grasp the appendages. The well itself, as the Snivy had decided, was only seven or eight feet deep, but still enough that it had to lay down on its stomach to reach the trapped kid, who finally managed to get a hold of his lifeline. When Snivy felt him tug on it, the Pokémon strained to stand up and pull, only to succeed in stumbling and falling forward into the well itself. Motonari's head broke its fall.

The boy rubbed his already sore head even harder while Snivy pushed itself off the ground and glared at him, Motonari shrinking back while the Grass Type dropped its gaze, crossing its stubby arms and sitting back against the wall. A few uncomfortable moments passed in silence, but eventually the boy looked over at the Pokémon sitting morosely beside him.

"T-Thanks for trying to help..."

"Sni," he could only blink at the reply, but given the Pokémon's composure barely softened, he had a good idea what it meant.

"So, um," the boy began again nervously, wringing his hands in desperation for some form of conversation. "What's your name?"

"Snivy," the answer was as curt as before, but this time the Pokémon had bothered to make eye contact.

"My name's Motonari," he said, the Grass Type giving another silent nod with a gruff acknowledgement before another uncomfortable silence fell over them again. Motonari's attention turned to the apple still in his hand, about to bite into it before turning to the Snivy next to him.

"Would you like some?" Snivy raised what Motonari assumed was an eyebrow, ruby orbs scanning over the fruit in his hand before nodding. The Pokémon stood up, and before the boy had a chance to react, sliced the apple in half with its leaf-shaped tail, narrowly missing his fingers and deftly catching its half. The two ate in silence, and when they were finished, Motonari turned back to his new companion and tried to strike up another conversation with it. The result was as one-sided as before, but the boy refused to give up, and eventually managed to carry on a line of dialogue with the Grass Type. He could barely understand it, having to imply heavily from its mannerisms and tone, but it made the wait far more bearable.

But halfway through their conversation, Motonari felt something was off. It was as if the sun had just enveloped the hole he was trapped in with its warmth and light, washing over him with its comforting rays. The Pokémon next to him just seemed confused, head darting around their prison nervously like there was someone else trapped with them.

 _"What... What was that light?"_ the boy blinked at the new voice, joining Snivy in frantically looking around at their surroundings before his eyes drifted back over to the Pokémon next to him.

"Did you just say that?" the Pokémon's head snapped back to him.

 _"Of course I did, who else would..."_ the realization dawned on them both, the Grass Type letting itself trail off.

"I-I can understand you!" Motonari shouted out enthusiastically, shooting a hand up into the air as he smiled. "This is so cool! We must have formed a link!"

 _"A... link?"_ Snivy's unenthusiastic voice echoed through his head, but it did little to shake the boy's. He nodded eagerly, looking back at the Grass Type.

"Yeah! My friend told me that a warriors can form links with Pokémon and fight alongside them," Snivy crossed its stubby arms, arching one of its eyes.

 _"You're a warrior?"_ Motonari could only shrug at the Pokémon's disbelief, leaning back against the wall.

"I guess. My dad's one," the Grass Snake Pokémon's expression refused to budge.

 _"But what is a link anyways?"_ The boy looked back down, pursing his lips in consideration before shaking his head.

"I don't know. My friend's dad said-"

"Boy! Are you down there?" Motonari's head shot upwards at the new voice, Snivy following his gaze to see the silhouette a man looking back down at them. A smile quickly overcame his features, but the Pokémon noticed his voice was shaky, small hands quivering, as he gave his reply.

"Yes sir! I think I hur-" the man above turned around and lowered something into the well before he could finish. The coarse end of the rope landed nearby, smacking against the wall as it came to a stop.

"Tie it around yourself, boy," Motonari did as instructed, pulling on the rope when he was finished. The boy nearly yelped when the man above tugged on the rope, lifting him up out of their prison, while he could only look down in shock and slight fear as he was lifted off the ground. Snivy, not knowing what else to do, leaped into his outstretched arms before he was too high up, nearly being crushed by Motonari's grip as his arms pulled the Pokémon closer against him the higher they got. Eventually, the duo were hauled out of the hole, Motonari collapsing facedown into the grass, clutching his aching stomach while Snivy wormed its way out of his arms. When the young boy pushed himself up, immediately wincing the moment he put pressure on his leg, any words that were about to escape his mouth died in his throat when he saw the man above him. Harukata stepped out from his shadow, running over to the younger boy's side.

"Motonari, you're hurt! I'm sorry, it's-"

"That's enough, Harukata," Harukata immediately stopped and gave a bow to the man. "We will address that when we return. Focus on helping him walk for now."

"Yes, Lord Yoshioki," the boy replied quietly as he helped Motonari up, letting him lean against him as they walked, Snivy close behind. Motonari could only further wince at hearing the name. Yoshioki Ouchi was the Warlord of Greenleaf; Yoshitaka's father and, from what he had been told, one of the most powerful Warlords in Ransei. Personally fishing him out of a well did not bode well for him or Harukata, Motonari decided. But when he looked down at his side and saw the small Pokémon trudging along with their group, almost unnoticed, and looking like it was at a loss for why it was even coming with them, Motonari came to the conclusion that a broken ankle and a very long lecture from his mother was worth his new friend.

The world seemed a little smaller now, he felt, and yet far larger than he thought possible.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So, this is a little side-project of mine that I've been planning for a while, and I guess you can call it both Motonari's story and a prequel to The Legend of Ransei - as I'll certainly be borrowing heavily from headcanon to use as inspiration for the many events that precipitated the main story of Pokémon Conquest, as the game itself is not exactly spectacular when it comes to backstory. I'll try to update it consistently - once a month, at least - and I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism.


	2. Down A Dark Path

_180 A.C - Greenleaf_

While very few summer days could match the temperature of that one three years past, the one Motonari and Harukata were currently enduring could easily contest. Greenleaf's courtyard was very much a large garden; plenty of delicate looking flowers with vibrant colors that Motonari always tried to identify, statues of Warlords past lining the walkways, the chirps and hums of various Pokémon as they flittered about, and the delicate trickle of water as it slipped through stone and into the pond clinging to one of the courtyard's corners. But it was in a more quiet corner of the courtyard, underneath one of the few trees that dotted the landscape, that the two boys had taken as their refuge from the summer heat. And Harukata, still excited about his new partner, proposed the only thing available to take their mind off the weather.

"Let's have a Pokémon battle!" the boy in white exclaimed as he shot up, jolting a sleepy Motonari out of his daydreams. The all-pervasive humidity had left him in a daze with little more to do than slowly melt into the trunk of the tree they were sitting against, and anything to take his mind off it was a welcome suggestion to the boy. Snivy, on the other hand, cracked an eye open from its place napping on Motonari's lap and then waved its leaf-shaped tail in Harukata's direction, as if shooing away some persistent Bug Type that was keeping it from relaxing. Motonari suppressed the urge to sigh at the sight; three years had gone by and the Grass Snake Pokémon had barely warmed up to him, let alone his friends. Taking a quick glance back at an indignant Harukata, the grassy-haired boy felt a small pang of envy as he caught sight of a bit of dark blue peeking out from behind the white of its partner's coat.

Only a week had passed since the Gible charged into the middle of town, confused and panicking, and only stopped its unintentional rampage after bowling over an unsuspecting Harukata. Maybe it was helping to clean up the mess his new partner created, or just the constant battles they so eagerly threw themselves into, but the two were already inseparable - Motonari wished he could say the same about him and Snivy. Maybe battling against Harukata would help strengthen their link?

"All right," the boy replied, but Snivy's gaze turned up to him before he could stand.

 _"Must we? I was enjoying my nap, thank you,"_ the Grass Type's irritated, drowsy voice echoed throughout his head before it rolled over and curled up again. Motonari frowned.

"Please?" he heard something resembling a groan - or was it a yawn? - come from the Pokémon.

 _"No,"_ the boy sighed, but remained unfazed. Motonari still had his trump card.

"You can have my dessert for lunch," that caused Snivy to stir, and it finally rose, casting one ruby eye up at him in discernment while it mulled over the options presented to it.

 _"Well... Fine,"_ Snivy hopped off his lap, stretching out its stubby arms. _"If you put it that way..."_

"So what're you waiting for?" it was then that Motonari remembered that Harukata had watched the entire exchange - he seemed somewhere between amused and irritated over the ordeal - and stood up as Snivy got off him with a small yawn. The other boy was almost bouncing in anticipation, trying desperately to contain his eagerness by rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, and he threw an arm out the moment Snivy sluggishly dropped into a battle stance in front of Motonari.

"Front and center, Gible!" the Land Shark Pokémon waddled out from behind Harukata until it was also in front of him, clenching its stubby claws together and trying to look as intimidating as possible to the Grass Type. Snivy just rolled its eyes and looked up expectantly at the grassy-haired boy behind it. A few seconds passed before Motonari blinked self-consciously and realized that all eyes were on him; he scratched the back of his head nervously and chuckled uncomfortably as he desperately tried to think of what command to give.

 _"Should I order Vine Whip? Gible's part Ground Type, so it- wait, no, it's also part Dragon..."_ Motonari's took another look across the field; Harukata's arms were crossed and he was tapping his foot against the grass, and he did not need to look down to know Snivy was also starting to get annoyed. Motonari felt his stomach slowly begin twisting itself into knots with every second that passed, and eventually he gave up his internal debate altogether with an uneasy chuckle.

"Uh... You can have the first move?" Snivy's head whipped around to face him, mouth agape, while Harukata facepalmed.

"Dragon Rage, Gible," the boy deadpanned through gritted teeth. Gible's maw opened and it wasted no time in spewing out a pillar of purplish flames in their direction. Motonari took a step back in shock, unable to sort through the panicked thoughts that raced through his head as the flames drew closer with each second - and he could feel Snivy's fear as it stared down the purple inferno that seemed to engulf every avenue of escape in sight - and then took a sharp breath as he reacted.

"Dodge!" Snivy had just enough time to look around, catch a small opening and dash for it while Motonari jumped to the side, letting the attack crash into the tree behind him. The boy flinched as he heard the wood behind him crack and the branches rustle, instinctively covering his head as he frantically scanned the field for Snivy. The Pokémon had created more distance between the two of them than it had between itself and its opponent in its panic, and the Grass Type's ruby orbs darted over to him for the briefest of seconds, silently pleading for him to give a command. Motonari's breath hitched - his stomach was doing flips by now, and he caught sight of Gible preparing another Dragon Rage in the corner of his eye - and he fumbled for any sort of response as he dabbed his forehead.

 _"Harukata's not kidding around,"_ and what did that make him look like in comparison, Motonari wondered in the back of his head.

 _"I can't waste any more time,"_ he threw out a hand with as much mock-confidence as he could muster. "Attack!"

It only took a second for Motonari to realize that he had not even bothered specifying what move to use, but Snivy remained unfazed. It threw itself to the right, letting another burst of Dragon Rage crash into the darkened spot of ground where it had once been standing.

"Now, Leer!" Motonari shouted. Snivy tossed a piercing glance over its shoulder, Motonari wincing in response as he felt the Pokémon's utter lack of confidence through their link, before turning back to the battlefield and unleashing a Vine Whip while Gible was still recovering from its attack. The Land Shark Pokémon looked up from its breaths - and the grassy-haired boy had to wonder how taxing it was for it to unleash such a move again and again - in time to see the tips of the attack drawing dangerously close. Harukata held up a hand, motioning for his partner to wait, and it was then Motonari knew that Snivy was throwing itself into a trap.

But the Grass Snake Pokémon did not see the danger. Motonari opened his mouth to yell for it to stop, trying in vain to warn it through their link, but it was too late. Harukata twisted his lips into an eager grin.

"Bite!" Gible sidestepped the thrust aimed at its midsection, clamping its mouth down on Snivy's vines. The Grass Type cried out in a mixture of shock and pain and tried to retract the attack, only for Gible to pull on the vines and send Snivy flying towards it. Motonari could feel his heart pounding against his chest when he saw an opening to turn the battle around.

"Use Leaf Blade, Snivy!" Snivy was too busy hurtling through the air for Motonari to get a good look of its face, but the boy thought he saw a curt nod from the Pokémon. It twisted itself overhead, preparing to bring down its glowing tail on the Dragon Type's head. Motonari's hopes sank into the pit in his stomach the moment Harukata's grin returned with a vengeance.

"Dragon Rage! Full force!" Gible released its clamp on Snivy's vines and unleashed another torrent of purple flames right as the Leaf Blade was about to connect. Snivy cried out in agony as the draconic inferno engulfed it, leaving only the Pokémon's blurred silhouette visible to Motonari before it was launched back across the field from the force of the attack.

"Snivy!" the boy's panicked shout was simultaneous with the heavy thud of the Pokémon crashing into the ground a few feet away, followed by his shoes crushing scattered and half-burnt leaves as he raced to pick up the downed Grass Type. To both his amazement and relief, Snivy groaned out and tried to push itself back up, only for its arms to give out.

 _"I hate fighting..."_ the Pokémon muttered bitterly through their link, and Motonari realized it was the first time he had heard his partner since the battle began.

"I'm sorry," came his feeble apology to Snivy, and the Grass Type cracked a ruby orb open once he had scooped it up in his arms. "If only I was better..."

Snivy just let out a 'hmph' and closed its eyes. Motonari let out a heavy sigh, like he just had the wind knocked out of him. He knew it was partly true; his indecisiveness was one of the reasons they lost, but there was also very little trust between him and his partner. He would give a command, and Snivy would follow it only if it thought it was a good one. That was what all his battles had been reduced to.

His gaze returned to Harukata; the boy in white was celebrating with his ecstatic partner, and he had to wonder what it was that made them so close.

"Yes!" Harukata threw a fist into the air with a wide smile breaking out across his face, Gible doing its best to mimic his expression. "Thirteen wins in a row! We're unbeatable!"

Gible cried out its name in triumph and nodded vehemently in agreement. Perhaps it was simply because Gible had more confidence in Harukata that they were so powerful? Motonari's shoulders slumped; he doubted he would ever reach a level even comparable to Harukata.

"Just because you've haven't lost yet doesn't mean you won't eventually, Harukata," Harukata's expression dropped, and both children turned to the owner of the voice. Between his immaculate and expensive-looking clothing, perfect posture, and the Petilil cradled in his arms, Yoshitaka always stuck out like a sore thumb. Harukata just crossed his arms and grinned, leaning forward for emphasis.

"You lost too, Yoshitaka," the prince's perfect composure crumbled in the face of a sheepish smile.

"Y-yeah, so?" he titled his head up a bit, lips straightening out into a shaky grin - mannerisms Motonari easily recognized as him trying to save face. "You couldn't last a minute against my dad."

"Not yet," the one in white nodded, looking back down at the Land Shark Pokémon standing at his side. "But I'll beat Lord Yoshioki one day, too."

Harukata's hands then tightened into fists, and he threw one into the air with as much force as one of Gible's attacks. "I'll become the greatest warrior in Ransei!"

"Will you?" Harukata's heroic display was dashed by the wry comment, and he quickly dropped his pose and spun around to the source of the remark. Yoshioki was leaning against one of the few trees a short distance away, arms crossed and looking down on the trio from underneath his heavy brow. Harukata immediately went straight, shaky lips hiding a gulp.

"L-Lord Yoshioki!" the Warlord let out an amused 'heh' and stood upright, a scarred Simisage dropping out from the branches above and following Yoshioki as he strode over to them. The man's steps were powerful, eyes set firmly forward and posture tense, like he would be required to spin around at any moment and draw the sword dangling from his hip. And yet, there was a strange form of serenity to his stony face that gave Motonari the impression the man could be thrown into anything and remain as unmoving and unshaken as the great trees that guarded Greenleaf. The boy suddenly felt much shorter as Yoshioki came to a stop a few feet away from them.

"Goals are admirable things, Harukata," came his rugged voice, sounding a bit hoarse from the mid-summer heat. "But don't set your expectations too high."

"Yes sir," Harukata muttered with a slight bow. Yoshioki's dark eyes then drifted over to the small crater created from the missed Dragon Rage.

"And I've told you to use the training grounds when having a battle, haven't I?" the boy's hands balled up, and he lowered his head even further to hide his gritted teeth. Motonari caught Yoshitaka chuckling silently out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yes sir..." whereas Harukata braced for his mentor's decree on what chores he would be stuck with for the next week, the Warlord seemed satisfied by his admonishment and turned to his son.

"Yoshitaka," the boy turned to face his father at the unspoken command, giving a short bow and taking off after him. He stopped mid-step, and tossed a glance back over his shoulder.

"Sorry, I have to go get ready for the banquet. You might want to brush up too, Harukata," and then Yoshitaka continued after the commanding form of his father, while Motonari looked over to Harukata. His clothing was disheveled, brow and collar sweaty, and he could make out grass stains on the edges of his white coat. The grassy-haired boy then looked down at himself; from the bits of grass and dirt that were sticking to his pants from the explosion or the few bits of burnt leaves he felt clinging to his hair, he had fared little better.

"Too bad," Harukata muttered, and then turned from watching Yoshitaka's disappearing frame to Motonari. "I wanted to see how you could do against Yoshitaka."

Taking a quick glance down at the sleeping Pokémon in his hands, Motonari doubted that Snivy was in any condition to fight another battle - and he thought he heard a small coo in agreement from the Pokémon at the thought - but he nodded in agreement regardless. Harukata then let out a heavy sigh, and the other boy suspected it was because of the reminder of the annual summer banquet they both dreaded. Harukata always admonished it more vocally than him; "Why do we have to waste our time going? It's not like we do anything," and Yoshitaka would usually offer up a bitter or halfhearted reply along the lines of; "It's our duty, Harukata,". That was always followed up by Harukata crossing his arms and muttering something underneath his breath, and then Motonari offering up a quiet "But why?". The grassy-haired boy always had to wonder why neither could offer an answer - Harukata and Yoshitaka always seemed to have answers - but by that point it was far too late to question it. They all understood that it was easier to simply go along with the motions.

"It's not like they accomplish anything with these events," his friend's mutterings shook Motonari out of his reflections as they walked back to the castle. "Wasted time better spent training. Or exploring."

"Well, maybe making it through another banquet can be a kind of training?" Harukata looked back at his shorter compatriot with a wry smile and small chuckle.

"Sure, if something different happens this time. It's been the same routine for the past five years," the boy in white turned back to the front as they rounded a corner and passed through an empty gazebo. "Everyone arrives, talks for a few minutes, Lord Yoshioki goes up to the front and talks about how things are doing, thanks everyone for something, and then everyone goes back to talking and eating while we sit off in our corner for the rest of the night."

"Something different could happen," that caused Harukata to stop short of the castle doors, the corners of his lips curling downwards into a pensive line.

"Yeah..." Harukata trailed off, and Motonari wondered what had crossed his mind. Whatever it was, the older boy just shook it off with a shake of the head, and pushed the wooden doors open.

"See you in a few hours, Motonari," he yawned out as he went off in the direction of his family's quarters with Gible trudging behind, leaving Motonari to go off on his own.

* * *

"Hold still, dear," the gentle command was a stark contrast to the brush tugging at Motonari's hair. He flinched as the bristles ran through a particular knot in his hair - it always had a way of curling outwards along the edges - and jerked a bit in reaction. The bristles tugged on his hair as he moved back, and he let out quiet yelp.

"Ow," he caught Snivy, sitting on his small bed off in the distance, laughing quietly through an apple while the woman above him went back to combing his hair. Motonari's mother - a frail-looking woman with a soft smile, raven hair and a shaky grip on the brush running through his hair - let out a quiet chuckle of her own.

"I did say to hold still for a reason," she commented lightly, and Motonari did his best to nod without moving his head while she finished and then went about straightening his collar.

"Mom," Motonari crossed his arms and looked down, wondering what Harukata or Yoshitaka would think if they were here, while Snivy's giggling grew louder. The woman looked up from brushing off some unseen dust on his shirt, and the boy instantly felt guilty about complaining when their eyes met. Her smile just grew a bit larger, and he suspected she figured out his thoughts.

"It never hurts to look presentable, dear," she stepped back and Motonari let out a held-in breath, tugging at his tight collar when she turned around to put down the brush.

"Now," she cleared her throat, and he quickly dropped his arm as she turned back around, fearing he had been discovered. "You promise to be on your best behavior tonight and not cause any trouble?"

"Yes, mom," the boy replied quickly without trying to sound disrespectful; it was the same question that had been asked of him before every time he attended, and it was the same truthful answer he gave each time.

"Harukata's right," he heard a voice in the back of his mind whisper. "Nothing really does ever happen at the banquet."

"Good," she chirped, giving him a small peck on the forehead before turning to the door. "Give me a second and we'll head out."

Motonari watched his mother leave with a small sigh, and then wondered what to spend the last few precious seconds of the day he had left on.

 _"Is the banquet really that bad?"_ Snivy's light voice echoed through the boy's head, and he turned around to see Snivy looking intently at him. _"All you have to do is wait it out."_

The grassy-haired boy let out a sigh as he started shifting through some of the wooden figurines arranged across his dresser. "I just don't like how we can't really do anything other than talk."

 _"Because clearly a few hours of talking and free food is going to kill you,"_ Snivy deadpanned, and Motonari laughed uneasily.

"I guess you have a point."

"Motonari! Time to go," his mother's voice drifted into the room like one of the songs he would hear the Starlys sing in the morning, and Motonari quickly spun around.

"Coming!" and with that, Motonari and Snivy headed out.

* * *

The great hall of Greenleaf's castle was already crowded by the time they arrived. Motonari's mother pointed out the corner where Harukata and Yoshitaka were clinging to before going over to join some of the other women the boy managed to recognize from passing glances, and he nervously made his way over to his friends. As Motonari wormed his way through the crowd, it dawned on him just how out of place he was here; everyone else dwarfed him, too busy in their own conversations to pay any heed to the boy trying to weave through them without intruding. It was difficult to tell where he was going over the cacophony - the subjects of the crowd's whispers escaping his grasp through veiled words and hearty laughter - and he became reminded of the forest his Mother seemed to fear. The fact he thought he was lost again did not help.

"Snivy?" he asked, amazed he could hear his own voice above the crowd.

 _"Yes?"_ Motonari looked down to see the Pokémon easily keeping pace and navigating the crowd with him.

"Ah, nothing," he did not have to look to tell that Snivy had narrowed its eyes.

 _"You're lost, aren't you?"_ part of the boy felt like retorting with an equally cutting "we're lost" through their link, but he just chuckled uneasily and quickly looked around for any sign of his intended destination.

"Hello!" he was saved by the voice, which was far too clear and close for it to be directed at anyone else than him. He turned to the side - wondering why the voice was so flighty - and was met with the sight of a girl staring back at him with wide brown eyes and an amicable smile. She could only have been a few years older than he was - no older than Harukata or Yoshitaka, he thought - and would have easily blended into the crowd were it not for her platinum blonde hair. "What's your name?"

Motonari smiled. "I'm Motonari. Yours?"

"I'm Myokyu," Motonari blinked, and she just giggled, like his reaction was something she was used to. "Most people just call me Myo."

"Where are you from, Myo?" it was a sentiment both he and Snivy shared, Motonari noted. "I haven't seen you around Greenleaf before."

"Fontaine," she replied, and Motonari heard his partner wonder "where?" in the back of his mind. He reassured the Pokémon absentmindedly while trying to focus on the girl's words. "My papa came here looking for work."

She pointed off to the edge of the crowd - really only a few feet away - and Motonari could immediately make out Yoshioki talking to another man he failed to recognize, along with broken parts of their conversation.

"Thank you again, Lord Yoshioki," was the only legible sentence he managed to hear Myo's father say over the din of the crowd. "After the situ... Fonatine turned... I ha..."

"Not at all, Okitsune," Motonari only managed to hear the beginning of Yoshioki's reply due to the hearty chuckle that had precipitated it. "You we... Ignis' best... A sh..."

 _"Heads up,"_ Snivy's comment quickly drew Motonari back to where he was, with barely any time to wonder how long he had been staring at Yoshioki and Myo's father before Harukata pushed his way through to them.

"Motonari-" the boy in white cut himself off abruptly as he stopped when he saw Myo. His eyes quickly trained over her, the static expression across his face switching between a handful of different emotions before he simply shook his head and grabbed Motonari's wrist.

"Sorry, I need to borrow my friend," was the only warning before he began pulling Motonari back into the crowd and its noise. Snivy seemed indifferent, while Myo just smiled at the sight and giggled lightly like someone getting suddenly uprooted and carried away was perfectly normal.

"Alright. Nice meeting you, Motonari!"

"You too!" he shouted back to his new friend - could he say she was a friend? She certainly was friendly - before she was swallowed up by the crowd. Managing to keep pace with Harukata as he navigated them through the chaos, they eventually emerged into a relatively quieter corner of the room where Yoshitaka was waiting.

"Right," Harukata nodded in Yoshitaka's direction as they came to a stop. "Now that we're all here, we can get down to business."

Motonari blinked at the declaration, and even noticed that Gible and Petilil, who were busy talking next to Yoshitaka, had fallen silent as well. "What are you..."

The corners of Harukata's lips curled into a grin at Motonari's question. "Simple; we're sneaking out."

"What!?" in the back of his mind, he was surprised no one around them had heard his shock. His eyes drifted over to Yoshitaka for confirmation - and were met with a grave expression that looked especially out of place on his normally aloof features - and got a small nod in return. Harukata's grin faded into a thin, grim line as he glanced over at the crowd suspiciously - like there was something amiss that only he could see - before continuing.

"We overheard some of the adults talking about seeing some activity near the woods," that failed to put Motonari at ease, and Yoshitaka stepped forward.

"While I doubt it's anything worth worrying about," he certainly did not sound that confident, the grassy-haired boy noted. "It's only right that I check it out. Father says I have to start preparing myself to rule Greenleaf, anyways."

Harukata nodded, and Motonari had a feeling he played more than a small role in convincing Yoshitaka of the necessity of action. "And we all have our Pokémon with us. We should be fine."

The one in white then turned to him, looking down in anticipation. "So, Motonari. Are you in?"

The youngest of the three was left to ponder the question for a few painstaking seconds; and between wondering what exactly they might find, what adventure might await them, and the quiet, discouraging voice in the back of his mind that reminded him of his mother, he gathered his resolve and gave a firm nod. Besides; there was nothing to be concerned about if Harukata was with them, Motonari reassured himself. He felt a quiet objection rise up in the back of Snivy's mind, but the small smile that spread across Harukata's face at his response demanded more of his attention.

"Great. Now, we-"

"Everyone," the single word silenced the whole room. There was nothing accompanying it; no clap, no 'ahem', simply Yoshioki's commanding voice. The entire crowd had turned to look at the end of the hall, and Motonari clung to the wall so he could make out the back of the room. Yoshioki was at the front, flanked by his father - a man whose scars, unshaven face and half-scowl made him look even more grizzled than Yoshioki, offset only by a distinctive grassy shade of hair - and Harukata's, who cast a much more serene and relaxed visage than the other two men.

Yoshioki cleared his throat. "Thank you all for attending, and I would like to apologize in advance for a delay in the kitchens."

Motonari caught Harukata's face brighten at the announcement, and he motioned for them to follow. "C'mon, we should leave while we still can."

Yoshitaka nodded and followed, Motonari keeping close behind as they inched towards the doors. "Right. Let's just try to make this quick."

"We have time," Harukata whispered back as he cracked open the door, the words of Yoshioki's address fading into the back of their minds as they slipped out unseen.

* * *

The first thing to cross Motonari's mind when they passed through the castle gates was the sunset; it was still high enough in the sky to give the appearance of the late afternoon, but it was slowly dipping towards the tree line of Greenleaf's woods. The second was his own surprise at how easily they managed to sneak out of the castle grounds undetected; the banquet had left a good portion of the active warriors patrolling the castle, which let them simply run by the unenthusiastic guards on the walls when they were not paying too close attention. Greenleaf was a quiet kingdom, after all, and invaders could easily be spotted. By the time the three had gotten to the edge of the forest, the sky had already turned to gold, and the trees were engulfing the trio with their long shadows.

But Motonari refused to be afraid. He had passed through the darkened trails once before and came out better, and with Snivy and his friends with him, the boy was certain he would again. Harukata took the first step forward into the shadowy entrance between the knotted trees, and for a moment it looked like he would have been swallowed whole by the bleak darkness. But Motonari took a step forward as well and caught sight of him again, him and Yoshitaka keeping close as they began their trek down the worn path. It was hard for Motonari to tell how much time passed as they wandered through the woods; it felt like only a few paces in before he could see a few stars through the branches shining against their slowly-darkening backdrop, and it was soon after that he had to wonder where exactly in the woods they were. Dusk had turned everything into an indistinguishable mess, only worsened by the sounds of leery Pokémon as they walked down their path a bit faster than before.

But Harukata knew the woods well, and Snivy seemed at ease, and so Motonari reassured himself that there was nothing worth worrying over. They had already combed what felt like the entirety of it anyways - or at least most of where the path lead through - and there had been no signs of anything suspicious. Harukata and Yoshitaka had apparently come to the same conclusion, as they also came to a stop in a nearby clearing to rest for a minute. Yoshitaka looked up to the sky after stretching his arms and saw blue slowly fading to black.

"We should head back now, Harukata, while there's still some sun out."

The one in question frowned - and it was plain to see he was disappointed - but he nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If we hurry we can probably sneak back in wit-"

Harukata cut himself off the moment the Gible at his side perked up, and both spun around to face the opposite end of the tree line. The Land Shark Pokémon growled out something indecipherable, and Motonari saw Harukata's hands ball up into fists. "Yeah, I heard it too."

"Heard what?" Yoshitaka's half-question, half-demand spoke for the two of them, but Harukata's only response was to raise a hand and motion for them to be quiet. Motonari and Yoshitaka both went silent, and Motonari closed his eyes. Beneath the fog of Pokémon's cries, his shallow breathing and the slight rustle of leaves as the wind ran through them, he could make it out; some light, repetitive clicking noise echoing off the dirt and grass in the distance. And when he opened his eyes again - had it gotten darker? - he could no longer ignore the sound. And it was getting closer.

"Ready a Dragon Rage, Gible," Motonari caught Harukata's whisper just as a faint light appeared near the edge; a dull, crimson flicker in the middle of the dark foliage, that was slowly growing brighter as the clicking grew more distinguishable. His breath hitched as he spotted a second flame close to the first one.

"Get ready," Snivy nodded, and the boy had no time to wonder whether or not he had whispered or stuttered. He only realized his hands were shaking when a third flame appeared and a vague outline started to materialize on the first. He heard Harukata's boots digging into the dirt and Yoshitaka's gulp as a fourth flame appeared and the clicking turned into a pounding. And finally the flame stepped out of the cover of the shadows, the sound of the hoof hitting the grass coming off like a clap of thunder to the three, and Motonari felt much weaker than he ever had before. And when he saw even Harukata's shoulders trembling as he stared down the emerging Rapidash - and part of Motonari so desperately wanted to feel silly for being scared over a Rapidash, but he knew that what was still covered by the shadows made it impossible - caused the pit in his stomach to start gnawing away at the rest of his insides.

The four warriors brought their mounts to a stop when the one in the front slowly raised a hand, and Yoshitaka took a step back. Motonari tried, but his legs felt too heavy to move, and Snivy was just as fixated at the sight ahead. The riders were dressed in various layers of black and scarlet; the two on the sides were armored from head to toe, and the third only lacked a helmet. But it was the one in the front that drew most of Motonari's attention; he was significantly older than the other three and far less imposing, hazel eyes staring down at the trio with a reserved curiosity. And between the faded scarlet coat, sharp beard and moustache, and the snow white hair peeking out from the sides of his cap, Motonari decided he looked like the quintessential strategist; those insidious people who his mother said were charged with bringing about the ruination of others.

At the very least, it was obvious to the three boys that the warriors they were facing were more than just roaming bandits. And when Yoshitaka's eyes scanned over the oldest rider and he caught sight of the four squares emblazoned in gold on both sides of his coat, his hand shot out and he grabbed Harukata by the wrist before he could order Gible to attack.

"RUN!" that was the only warning either got before Yoshitaka spun around and pulled Harukata - much to everyone's amazement - back the way they came. Gible quickly broke off the Dragon Rage it had been struggling to hold and chased after the two as they ran back into the cover of the shadows, and it only took a few seconds of frantically struggling to keep up before Harukata managed to wrest his arm out of Yoshitaka's grip.

"Yoshitaka!" he came to a halt and spun around, eyes going wide before Harukata could continue.

"Where's Motonari!?" Harukata's face dropped and he quickly looked over his shoulder, head whipping back and forth frantically when he saw no tuft of green hair behind him.

"We have to go back!" Yoshitaka pulled him back before he could dash off again.

"Are you nuts!?" the slight scowl and thin frown that broke out across Harukata's face demanded an explanation for the accusation, and quick.

"That was Tsunehisa Amago; the most powerful Warlord in Ransei!" Yoshitaka took a glance back in the direction of Greenleaf's castle. "A-After my dad, of course..."

"We wouldn't stand a chance on our own," Harukata put a hand to his chin, taking a sparing glance down at his partner.

"The strongest Warlord in Ransei, eh?"

"Yes!" Yoshitaka shouted, and his tone made the boy in white grimace. "What part of that don't you get!?"

Harukata took another look back in the direction of the clearing, lips turning into a scowl as he fought the urge to charge back down the path, before finally groaning and burying his face in his hands.

"Y-You're right. We need to tell Lord Yoshioki, and quick," the two then took off again, only the sounds of their shoes pounding against the dirt accompanying them before Harukata took a final, bitter look over his shoulder when castle came within view.

"This is all my fault... I'm sorry, Motonari..."

* * *

Motonari had watched on helplessly as Yoshitaka dragged Harukata away before he could try to fight the warriors, screaming for him to run. It was then that Motonari felt true terror for the first time in his life; his legs locked up, arms quivering and lips trembling as he looked up at the warriors above, and saw them impassively watching as Harukata and Yoshitaka escaped into the safety of the brush. And the boy wanted so desperately to join them, to be freed of the prison his body had become and scream out in terror and run after him, but his legs refused to budge. He could not even feel Snivy through their link, even as it tried to hide itself behind his frame. The realization that he was all alone quickly enveloped Motonari like the cold night air that had reduced him to a shivering mess, and he flinched as the eldest rider urged his Rapidash forward a few steps.

"Now, young man," the older man's voice was deep and almost melodic, but had a slight roughness to it that Motonari could only attribute as being due to his age. "What are you doing out in the middle of the forest at this hour?"

"I..." the boy took a second to marvel at the fact he could even respond, then tried to meet the man's gaze. In the back of his mind he wondered what to say - or even if he could say anything - but something pushed him to give an honest answer through shaky words. "We were trying to find out what you're doing."

The man let out a light chuckle, wrinkled lips curling upwards into a small, reassuring smile. Motonari felt the strangest combination of relief and foreboding flood over him. "Why, we were scouting out your castle."

"Lord Tsunehisa?" the question came from the helmetless warrior, and Tsunehisa turned to face him, toothless smile unwavering.

"Oh, come now; there's no harm in telling the boy the truth," his gaze drifted back to Motonari.

"He's already found us out, hasn't he?" he asked wryly, and Motonari could only nod in agreement.

"Ah, but we should return home now," Tsunehisa pulled the reins to the right, slowly steering his mount around. The rest of the warriors did the same, but Tsunehisa took a second to stop and look back down at the still-petrified Motonari. "You should do the same before your parents start worrying about you."

His eyes drifted up to the dirt path behind Motonari, while the boy was left silently doubting that his father would be too concerned about his absence. "I doubt your friends will help."

Motonari nodded weakly, swallowing a gulp and trying desperately to steady his legs. "T-Thank you."

Tsunehisa gave a small nod and guided his mount back towards the way they emerged, and Motonari watched as him and his entourage were swallowed up by the shadows, leaving him and Snivy alone. While the two silently and shakily began making their way back, Tsunehisa's eyes drifted back to the distant sight of the clearing - and even through the darkness, he could see it was empty.

"Your headband, Hisayuki," he held out a hand as he brought his Rapidash to a stop.

"Sir," the helmetless warrior's reply was more of a question than an acknowledgement, but he undid the cloth tied around his forehead and passed it into the elderly Warlord's grip. Tsunehisa reached up with a small grunt and tied it around a branch - high enough to keep any passing Pokémon from snatching it away, but low enough for the square crest on it to be plainly seen by any passersby. Satisfied, he settled back into the saddle and grabbed the reins once more.

"Chandelure," the ghostly Pokémon materialized in front of Tsunehisa at the unsaid command, crossing one of its candle-like arms over its body in a short bow before floating ahead to illuminate the path out of the forest. Tsunehisa tapped his heels against his mount's sides, and the warriors resumed their trek, following the lone light as the darkness thickened.

* * *

Yoshioki would have described the atmosphere in Greenleaf's banquet hall as aloof. Everyone was happily talking between bites of their food or requesting seconds without a care in the world, a process that had been repeating itself for the past hour without interruption. Even his retainers had become engrossed in the festivities; leaving him to silently brood at the end of the room and think about the dark clouds on the horizon while he silently took sips at his half-empty cup. And the bright lights combined with the glitzy décor only made his headache worse. The Warlord of Greenlead leaned back in his seat and rubbed his forehead with a heavy sigh, catching his green-haired retainer slowly reaching for one of the many cups arrayed around him. The throbbing in his head worsened.

"You've had enough, Hiromoto," Hiromoto let out a slurred grunt, trying to shake his head in disagreement but only succeeding in wobbling in place like a top that was about to fall over.

"I've had _only_ five glasses tonight," the man retorted through a hiccup, while the retainer across from him looked up with a raised eyebrow and small, acerbic smile.

"You're not doing yourself any favors," Hiromoto tried to wave off the comment, but he ended up making a swatting motion towards the roof.

"Eh... What'd you know 'bout it, Okifusa?" Okifusa looked up slightly in mock contemplation, tugging at one of the ends of his short moustache.

"Hm... Yes, what would I know about the wanton consumption of alcohol? I certainly must defer to you in this matter, o' soused one," Hiromoto just gurgled out something indiscernible before slumping over and snoring. Yoshioki pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That's enough, Okifusa," the retainer chuckled lightly and took another bite out of his meal, and Yoshioki took another sip from his glass. "The night has been relatively quiet; let's try to keep it that way."

A small blessing that made his most loathed night out of the whole year slightly more bearable, Yoshioki added as an afterthought. Okifusa nodded in agreement, looking over the still-lively assembly.

"Yes, it certainly has. I don't think I've heard a single complaint, either; the kids have been on their best behavior tonight," Okifusa's smile dropped when he quickly realized they were nowhere to be seen in the crowd. His head whipped around to face Yoshioki; the Warlord only gave a silent nod in understanding, his already stony features becoming even grimmer.

"I take full responsibility for whatever mess Harukata's dragged them into this time, milord," the retainer said, head titling downwards. The other Greenleafer only shook his head.

"They're at an age where they should learn to accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions, Okifusa," Yoshioki slowly got to his feet, followed by Okifusa. "Now, we better find them before they can cause any more trouble."

Whatever attention Yoshioki had garnered by standing was immediately diverted when the doors to the hall were violently swung open, Harukata and Yoshitaka stumbling in. Practically every head in the room turned to face the two boys, both red in the face and gasping for breath with their Pokémon lying facedown on the floor behind them. Yoshitaka was hunched over, hands on his knees and sucking on air, while Harukata at least had enough composure left to stand up straight and frantically try to spew out something intelligible.

"Slow down and catch your breath," Yoshioki ordered as he and Okifusa quickly made their way over to the two boys. Harukata nodded and choked out something that was drowned out by the chatter of the confused crowd, and took a few deep breaths before pushing himself upright again.

"Woods..." the boy managed to say between heavy breaths. "Riders... Ran... Motonari..."

Yoshioki caught the missing boy's mother shoot up at the mention of his name, but Yoshitaka wheezed out a single word that caused a pit to form in the bottom of the Warlord's stomach. "Tsunehisa..."

The Warlord wasted no time; his head whipped over to the warrior standing closest to the door, lips twisting into a scowl. "Sound the alarm and assemble the guard! NOW!"

"Take care of things here, Okifusa," that was the only command Yoshioki gave before rushing through the doors in a blur of white and gold with most of the warriors in the room scrambling to keep up with him. Okifusa let out a heavy sigh and turned to face the thoroughly rattled guests with as calm a composure as he could muster.

"If that was any indication, I'm afraid we will have to call it quits for the night," everyone left behind began to slowly and uncomfortably file out of the room, while Okifusa urged the two boys off to the side.

"Now, son," Harukata lost eye contact with the man when he said that, and Okifusa got down on a knee to restore it, speaking a bit more quickly than he would have liked too. "Tell me what happened."

Harukata nodded weakly, but was cut off by a familiar woman rushing over. "Harukata! Where's Motonari!?"

The boy seemed to shrink even more and Okifusa placed a hand on her arm. "Milady, please, panicking is not going to-"

"I have every right to be concerned!" she shouted, causing the retainer to flinch. "My son is missing and Ignis may be attacking!"

"He..." Harukata slowly choked out, swallowing a gulp. "We went into the woods."

Harukata felt sick to his stomach the moment both adults demanded an explanation, and was certain this was some form of divine retribution for whatever Motonari was going through.

* * *

When Motonari and Snivy finally stumbled out of the woods, scared out of their wits, constantly looking over their shoulders and afraid that every rustle of a tree branch would give way to some hostile Pokémon ready to devour them - they were the monsters his mother warned him about, weren't they? - the boy took a deep breath of the cool night air before letting his trembling knees finally give out. Snivy ran over to his side and began nudging him, urging him to get up, and he stifled a snivel; slowly pushing himself back up and wiping away at the dirt and tears clinging to his cheeks. And when he was met with the sight of Yoshioki and a dozen or so other warriors and their Pokémon running towards him, he finally started to cry and let his arms give out under him.

The next day, sitting inside the prison that his room had become for the next week - as his mother decreed - he looked out the window that was his sole gateway to the outside world, and wondered what was beyond Greenleaf.


	3. Where It Goes

_180 A.C - Violight_

Violight was a bleak kingdom - that was a fact of life for Dosetsu. The skies were constantly blackened with thunderclouds, the incessant claps of thunder and flashes of lightning always threatening a storm that never quite came. Empty, fallowed fields dotted the landscape and mixed in effortlessly with the surrounding badlands, barely providing enough food for the harvest each year. Dosetsu remembered hearing tales of how plentiful Violight once was when he was younger, but the warrior could never bring himself to believe them nowadays - just legends made up to inspire hope in the few farmers left, he told himself. What life had yet to be sucked out of the kingdom by the constant fighting, bad weather and poor crops was as grim as the warriors it spawned; only the strong would prevail, and weakness was shunned on all levels. Every day was a struggle, and woe betide the warrior too weak to be of use in battle.

Perhaps that was why his lord preferred the company of blackened fields and rotting vegetation to the residents of Violight's castle.

Dosetsu cleared his throat. "Milord."

He saw the prince stir - it was impossible not to, given how easily he stood out against the grey sky and broken fields - and he sat up, tossing a weary look over his shoulder. His sickly complexion only made his blond hair look even paler, and tired brown eyes met Dosetsu's grey from behind curly bangs and the wide brim of his black hat. Something indiscernible struggled to push its way onto his features, but ultimately he just let out a ragged sigh.

"Hey, Dosetsu," he turned back to the empty horizon, and Dosetsu caught his grip tighten on the Eevee resting in his arms. "Here to drag me back to the castle again?"

The retainer felt the air escape his lungs for a few seconds. "Lord Sorin, your training-"

"Why even bother, Dosetsu?" Sorin asked, and the other Violighter had trouble figuring out if his lord was on the verge of tears or laughter. "You heard what my father said; I'm worthless."

The prince sniffled and raised a hand to his face, presumably to wipe away the last remnants of the tears he tried to hide.

"A pathetic excuse of an Otomo. I'm sick half the time, can't win a single battle and can't even swing a sword," Sorin leaned back and let out a laugh that sounded like an old door creaking open before it fell off its hinges - Dosetsu felt almost sick at nine year old child having a laugh that hollow. The prince then turned back to look at his retainer, bloodshot brown eyes meeting steely grey again. "Why even waste your time on me?"

"Milord..."

"At least my brother's not a complete failure; he can actually fight. You would have been better off assigned to him, not wasting your talents on me..."

"Milord," Dosetsu was assertive enough to grab Sorin's attention without sounding overbearing.

"I requested to be assigned as your retainer," he decided to withhold the fact that the look of utter disbelief that spread across Sorin's face was almost exactly identical to the one that had plastered itself across his father's on that day. "And not all strength is found on the battlefield; I believe that-"

"It's the only type of power that matters _here,_ Dosetsu," the prince snapped back from behind a shaky voice, gloved hands balling into fists. "You of all people should know that - they're already calling you a genius on the battlefield."

"War is not merely fought with weapons, milord," the retainer replied, allowing a small, tired frown to crease itself into his face. Sorin's head dropped and he let out another sigh, running a hand through the fur of the Eevee still asleep in his arms - blissfully unaware of the exchange that had just took place - for a few long seconds. The prince's nose finally crinkled, and he looked up to his significantly taller retainer.

"Sorry," he took a shaky breath. "I shouldn't have snapped at you for caring enough to come all the way out here. That's more than I can say for the others."

Sorin's pale lips twisted themselves into a thin smile that looked like it could fall apart at any moment.

"I'd be an even bigger fool than I already am to chase away my only friend," the smile fell, and the prince slowly stood. "Still, you came here for a reason."

Sorin turned and began to stagger back in the direction of the castle, Dosetsu shuffling to the side awkwardly to let him by. The pit in the bottom of the retainer's stomach only grew as Sorin's face grew more and more dismal with each step he took, and he finally cleared his throat.

"Milord, you don't-" the prince shook his head hard enough for his hat to become lopsided.

"The longer I make him wait the angrier he'll get," the blond muttered as he adjusted his black cap before continuing his path, retainer close behind. A clap of thunder rang out as Violight's stony castle came into view, followed by a flash of lightning. Sorin sighed and let his head drop.

"How long will all this last for, Dosetsu?" his plea was faint, like if he spoke any louder he would get struck by the lightning overhead. Dosetsu's lips pursed, and he looked ahead at the massive structure in resignation.

"Until something breaks, milord."

* * *

 _Greenleaf_

It was another beautiful summer day in Greenleaf. The sun was shining in the clear sky overhead, the town below Greenleaf's walls was bustling, and best of all, there was a pleasant breeze that kept the usually oppressive summer heat at bay. From gazing out the sole window of his room - the only avenue to the outside world - Motonari was convinced the weather was taunting him.

Confined to his room as he was with only what few books he had as company - Snivy could never bear being cooped up for too long, and he could never muster the heart or courage to tell the Pokémon otherwise - Motonari found that his only comfort was silently telling himself it was better than whatever punishment had been handed down to Harukata. That, and this would be the last day of his confinement, thankfully; though he was not allowed to leave the castle grounds, he could at least venture out of the cage that was his room. But until that moment came, all he had were his stories.

They were stories of ages long gone; tales of ancient warriors, of heroic quests, of great battles and rivalries that still echoed across Ransei. They were a larger window to the outside world than the one next to his bed ever was; regaling to the boy their lofty tales of bygone ages and their legends. The legends were of the Kingdoms, of the Legendary Pokémon who made them, and of the legendary warriors who tried in vain to prove themselves worthy of it - though they still were immortalized, nonetheless.

Someone would probably make a legend about Harukata one day, Motonari mused in the back of his head as he turned a page. Maybe he would be mentioned in it if he could keep up?

The sound of his bedroom door sliding open quickly drew his attention; Motonari closed the book in his hands and placed it on top of the small stack slowly piling up on his bed. Snivy was the first to enter the room - quietly munching on an apple as it made its way over to him - followed by his mother poking her head into the room.

"All right dear," the boy felt his heart skip a beat, and spared a second's glance in the direction of the window. "Remember what I said, you-"

"I can go outside but I can't leave the castle," Motonari finished enthusiastically, taking another glance towards the direction of the forest. It was nowhere near as intimidating during the day as it was at night - but the boy pushed that thought from his head as he ran over and hugged his mother. Motonari felt another burden vanish when she reached down and returned the hug with a small smile and quiet chuckle - he could practically hear those intangible shackles tying him to his bed snap and fall off his ankles. He was about to dart out the door when he remembered Snivy, and spun back around to his bed. The Pokémon was quietly eating the fruit in its hands, holding one of his books in its retractable vines. (He had to raise an eyebrow at that, as the last time he checked the Grass Type was illiterate.)

"Snivy?" Snivy looked up at his question, eyeing Motonari with something the boy could not quite place. Annoyance? Apprehension? Distrust, maybe? Motonari pushed back the unease building up in his stomach. "Would you like to go out? There's that new game that-"

The Grass Type shook its head, and the boy felt the air escape his lungs. So much for trying to get closer. "Are you sure, it's-"

"Motonari, dear," his mother's gentle voice cut through his own, and the boy looked up when he felt her place a hand on his shoulder (he had been busy trying to figure out if the Grass Snake Pokémon was leering at him for trying to push the topic).

 _"Give it some space,"_ Motonari sighed as he understood unspoken command. He really did want to question it - he had never seen his mother with a Pokémon, after all, but he knew better than to bring _that_ up - but ultimately nodded and trudged out the door. Snivy looked up once the boy was gone; the Pokémon immediately shrunk back at the frown it saw on the woman's face before she left as well. A few seconds of Snivy looking to the doorway and back to the book in its hands passed before it finally sighed, like it was trying to get rid of the knot that had been building up in its stomach, and ran out of the room.

* * *

"What of the border guard, any news from them?" Harukata tried not to fidget as he watched his father reach for one of the innumerable scrolls stacked beside so he could answer Yoshioki's question. One of the chores that had be given to him as part of his punishment was helping out in the kitchens - and it was to that end that he the one was to serve Greenleaf's Warlord his meals. Simple, but hardly punishment enough in his mentor's mind, Harukata decided.

"A few Ignite riders, but nothing out of the ordinary. Though their last report was from a few days ago..." Okifusa's voice echoed in the back of his head, and allowed himself to feel vindicated, if only for a second. He would only leave when Yoshioki dismissed him - and fifteen minutes or so had passed of nothing but him being forced to listen to security reports. Fifteen long minutes of being reminded of the scolding he got; of how he placed himself, Motonari, Yoshitaka, and Greenleaf itself in danger. And while he desperately wanted to point out how no one had gotten hurt and a week had gone by without anything happening, like _that_ would make it all go away, he knew better than to say anything and incur another lecture. (The extra week of dish duty that would likely get piled on was also unattractive.)

"It's only been a week," Harukata was finally broken out of his doldrums as Yoshioki leaned forward to the food arrayed before him - it was probably all cold now, but that did not keep him from delegating as he finally began his meal. "I want the castle guard on triple shifts, and make sure the town's prepared for an emergency."

"And of provisions, milord?" Yoshioki let out a 'hmph' through his lukewarm tea at Hiromoto's question, and turned to his other retainer. Okifusa produced another scroll after a quick search and only replied with a small nod; satisfied, the Warlord returned to his food.

Harukata, now trying to ignore the loss of feeling in his right knee, suddenly wondered if Yoshioki's chewing had gotten louder in the past few seconds. The protracted silence was starting to make him nervous - no one was looking at him, but he could still feel the sweat underneath his collar at the thought that every action of his was silently being scrutinized, and his heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard Yoshioki swallow. The Warlord cleared his throat - Harukata's back went straight.

"This... is quite good, actually," Yoshioki crossed his arms, and the boy standing behind him felt his shoulders loosen.

"Thank you, sir," the Warlord nodded and took another sip of his tea.

"Yes; I'd say if you pull another stunt like that one, you'll have a promising future in the culinary industry," Harukata felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him. Anything but a lifetime of this, he silently pleaded.

"S-Sir!" a few more seconds of quiet chewing passed before Yoshioki spoke again.

"You're dismissed," Harukata wasted no time in bowing and practically leaping out of the grand hall (the thought of Yoshioki changing his mind kept his feet anchored to the floorboards). There was only one thing on his mind as he immediately broke out into a dash once he was certain he was out of sight; getting Gible, and then goofing off the rest of the day.

Yoshioki sighed as he heard the boy's footsteps echo off the halls, but decided that yelling after him would accomplish nothing. Instead, the Greenleafer decided to pick up the headband that had been resting on the floor next to him and looked it over like it would tell him something different from the dozens of other times he had examined it. Okifusa quietly watched him turn over the cloth while he took a sip of his tea - it was Hiromoto who asked for both of them.

"Figured it out yet, milord?" Yoshioki sighed at the question; he knew the grassy-haired retainer was asking in half-jest, but they all knew it was a message of some kind from Ignis.

"Not yet," the Warlord muttered, eyes gazing over the four square crest that caused his blood to boil nearly every time he saw it (it was burned into the back of his mind, he was certain of that), looking for _anything_ that would help indicate Tsunehisa's next move. The man was like smoke; clouding and choking everything he came in contact with, and being far too intangible for his tastes. Yoshioki always preferred opponents that would fight him head on instead of toying with him first. But then again, Ignis' Warlord would hardly be a worthy opponent were he that straightforward.

Yoshioki blinked.

 _"_ _Smoke..."_ his gaze drifted back down to the crest. _"Where there's smoke, there's..."_

"The signal fires!" Yoshioki shouted as he shot up and bolted over to the window. Okifusa raised an eyebrow and stood.

"What about them?" Greenleaf proper was defended by a series of signal fires - guards in the few forts stretched across the border would light theirs when they saw an invasion force, which would in turn cause a series of watchmen stretched across the small kingdom to light their own signals until it came in sight of the castle. It was a system innovated by his grandfather back when the newly-christened kingdoms were still celebrating their independence by attacking each other; Yoshioki had refined it so that the fire would instead travel across wire connecting the border forts to the flares in sight of Greenleaf, allowing them to concentrate their troops in more key areas and abandon the towers in Greenleaf's forest.

Of course, if a handful of riders could slip by lax defenses in the dead of night and sever that link, then they were as good as blind. Yoshioki felt his hands ball into fists; if only he had paid less thought to the now blatantly-obvious red herring and more to-

No. There was no time for that now; Ignis could attack at any second for all he knew.

"We've been played for fools, Okifusa," Yoshioki strode back to the center of the room, his two retainers standing when he started marching towards the door. "Ready the troops and send out scouts to the border forts - I want it done within the hour."

Okifusa and Hiromoto exchanged a quick glance before both give a nod. "Sir!"

"If Ignis doesn't attack today," Yoshioki shoved the doors to the great hall open. "We take the fight to them."

* * *

After years of knowing him, Motonari had found that Harukata had a way of charging straight into the future with abandon. He was like a force of nature; blowing through every challenge and obstacle that presented itself headfirst without so much as a glance back, and if he failed to keep up, Motonari knew he would be left behind (even if Harukata always had a way of coming back for him in the end).

Unfortunately, this translated into Harukata never paying too much attention to where he was going - especially when rounding corners.

"Sorry, Motonari," Harukata had barreled into him, but managed to fall backwards and avoid crushing the grassy-haired boy. Motonari took his outstretched hand and felt himself get hauled back up to his feet; it was something he had become used to by now. And then as soon as he was back on his feet, having only enough time to mutter a breathless thanks, Harukata had bolted off again. "Have to get Gible! See ya!"

Motonari found himself looking at the corner that his friend had disappeared behind, and then blinked when a he felt a familiar presence creep up in the back of his mind. It was hard to put to words - conflicted, perhaps? - but only a few seconds had passed before Snivy trotted out from behind the corner, throwing a sharp glance over its shoulder. Motonari took a wild guess that Harukata had barely managed to avoid trampling the Grass Type in his mad dash for freedom. Their eyes met when Snivy turned - the awkward silence that fell over them as Snivy walked up to his side was thick enough that Motonari could practically feel it nudging his shoulder, telling him to say _anything_.

"Hi?" Snivy just blinked, dumbfounded at the greeting, and Motonari tried to hide the feeling of sheepishness that had just punched him in the gut.

 _"Hi,"_ he heard the reply echo throughout his head, just as uncertain as his was - that gave him some small measure of comfort. Motonari quickly racked his brain for something else to say, but to his relief Snivy spoke first.

 _"I... I'm sorry,"_ the Pokémon looked down at its stubby hands, like it was debating as to whether or not it should cough into them. _"About earlier."_

"'s fine," came the boy's reply, trying to mask his uncertainty with a nonchalance that fooled no one. Another moment of complete silence followed - Motonari looking over Snivy and trying to decide if he was fit to even have a Pokémon, while Snivy reminisced about the forest before the invisible links tying it to the boy had drawn it away from the overbearing oaks - until it was shattered with a voice they both instantly recognized.

"Pick up the pace, Yoshitaka, he couldn't have gotten far!"

"No one can get very far in your world with the way you're running!"

That _had_ to be a new record for Harukata, Motonari thought in the back of his head. Snivy did not even bother to try to mask its surprise. Only a second later Harukata appeared from behind the corner - both Motonari and Snivy having had the foresight to get out of his way in advance - and nearly barreled straight past them before skidding to a halt. Yoshitaka was not as fortunate.

"Nevermind the impropriety of ordering your future lord aro-" Harukata only had time to open his mouth and plead for him to stop before Yoshitaka turned the corner and barreled straight into him. Harukata wasted no time in getting back on his feet and hauling the prince back up; Yoshitaka tried to imitate his father's infamous glower while Harukata just spun around and clapped his hands together.

"Right," he said without skipping a beat. Yoshitaka just dropped his face. "Now that we're all here, we can finish our business from last time."

"Which is?" came the prince's question. Harukata grinned.

"Simple; you and Motonari need to have a battle," Snivy glowered at him from its place behind Motonari's leg. Yoshitaka tried to glower again.

"I think that's a bit unfair to Motonari, wouldn't you say?"

"Actually," Motonari cut in, mind quickly flashing back to the forest and how he had been completely petrified. "I guess me and Snivy could use some training."

Motonari felt Snivy looking up at him, and was surprised when he felt it give a nod in agreement. Harukata remained oblivious to the approval - not that it would have had an effect on him.

"Besides, Yoshitaka," he began with air of triumph. "You're going to have to battle at some point when you become Warlord. Might as well train while you can."

Yoshitaka hated it when he was right.

"Fine," the prince conceded with a sigh. "Me and Petilil can go a round."

Harukata just gave one of his usual smiles. Motonari tried to figure out whether or not to be terrified in the time it took them to get to Greenleaf's training grounds, squirreled away in one of the corners of the castle gardens. Yoshitaka and Motonari took their positions at opposite corners, Harukata quickly went over the ground rules - no leaving the battlefield, no items, either side could bow out at any time - and promptly took his seat a few feet away, Gible eagerly watching with him.

"Begin!" despite the boy's shout, both sides just seemed content to stare at each other and wait. Harukata yawned as the staring contests continued to drag on - he would have won by now, he thought lazily - and looked up when he saw a messenger frantically run by them and into the castle. Yoshitaka noticed the man too, and had taken his eyes off the battlefield for a second. That was what Motonari had been waiting for.

"Vine Whip!" Yoshitaka's head shot back just in time to see the attack seconds before it connected with his startled partner. Harukata grinned and let out a chuckle loud enough for the prince to hear - Yoshitaka clenched his fists.

"Stun Spore!" it wouldn't be able to do much with Snivy still on the other side of the field, Yoshitaka knew, but the impromptu shield would be able to buy them some time to regroup from the sneak attack. Motonari just looked around - it wasn't a very wide attack, and there would be enough room for Snivy to maneuver around it, but the question was now how to without getting Snivy blasted with another Stun Spore.

The sound of a horn loud enough to blast out all their eardrums cut through Motonari's thoughts.

 _"_ What... What attack was that!? _"_ he tried to reach out to Snivy through their link and was only met with as much panic as his own.

"That wasn't an attack!" he heard Yoshitaka shout over the buzzing in his ears. Harukata had stood up, he noted, and had lost all his usually carefreeness in the process.

"That was the castle alarm," Motonari blinked, vaguely remembering hearing something like that during his escapade through the forest. The pieces in his head clicked together in time for Harukata to finish.

"We're being invaded."


End file.
